Nikki, a Los Angeles Native, is an accomplished violist with a 15 year freelance career that has taken her all over the world. She’s toured the U.S., Canada, South America, the U.K., Europe, and the Middle East with Brandi Carlile, Allison Russell, J. Cole, Hans Zimmer, the Midnight Hour, MESTO, and the touring production of Dear Evan Hansen. In addition to touring, Nikki performed on the Oscars, the Grammys, the BET Awards, the ESPYs, and the American Music Awards with Rihanna, Luke Combs, Brandi Carlile, Lizzo, Chance the Rapper, Kirk Franklin, Tamala Mann, Galant, H.E.R., Lady Gaga, Nile Rodgers, Raphael Saadiq, and Charlie Wilson. She has performed on over 50 TV and film scores, including The Color Purple, The Lion King, Transformers, Green Book, The Simpsons, Queens, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. She’s also performed at major music festivals such as Coachella, Bumbershoot, BottleRock Festival, Nublu Jazz Festival (Brazil), and the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in San Francisco.
In addition to performing, Nikki was a music educator at K-12 schools, after-school programs, and colleges throughout greater Los Angeles and Orange County. She was a teaching artist, lead educator, mentor teacher, curriculum developer, orchestral conductor, and led professional development workshops with the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s community outreach programs; which serviced under-resourced communities in greater Los Angeles. She was a contributing author for a book titled El Sistema, Music for Social Change: An Inspirational Collection of Essays, which focused on music education as a vehicle for social justice.
Nikki’s combination of performing, teaching, and music education development experience has given her a unique perspective on music’s social impact on the world. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree from California State University, Long Beach; and a Master of Music degree from Northwestern University (Evanston, IL).